Surf’s up, the time is here to grab your suit and head for the beach. Well, maybe after the water gets warmer! If you’re not heading for the beach, maybe you’re heading for other places in town to have a good time. The best part of the summer is meeting new people and seeing old friends we see once a year. On the other hand, maybe summer for you means coming to the beach, letting go of your inhibitions and having some fun that you normally wouldn’t have at home.

A few years ago CAMPsafe was involved in a study with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that looked at sexual risk-taking among gay and bisexual men who come to Rehoboth Beach. Results, published in a major HIV periodical, created buzz on the internet among gay men’s health advocates and other HIV prevention providers. As a result, the CAMPsafe program became a model for other programs in the country.

The results confirmed what we all thought that some people do when they come to the beach. Men take more risks when they come here for vacation. This is not only evident in sexual risk taking but in the amount of drugs and alcohol that play a factor in decision making. While this information was helpful, it stopped short of looking at interventions we could use to work with gay and bi- men who might be sexual risk takers when they go to resort communities.

Recently, researchers from the University of Colorado awarded grants to CAMPsafe, and two other agencies—AIDS Help in Key West and the AIDS Task Force in New Orleans—for a two year study that looks at risk-taking and creating interventions that agencies who work with a seasonal or tourist population might use. The grant is funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH).

The first year of the project involves conducting two sets of confidential interviews. The first are with key informants—men who live in Rehoboth full-time and who work with tourists— who are able to speak to what guys are really doing when they come here. They are our eyes on the community.

The second set of interviews involve talking with gay male tourists. We will start those interviews in June. The questions will ask gay men what they do here, while they are on vacation, compared to what they do at home. Questions will also address how we can work better with this population. All interview subjects receive a stipend for their time.

The CAMPsafe staff is excited to be part of this grant. The work we will be doing during this summer and next is important as HIV rates and STD rates are starting to increase among our younger and middle aged gay population. So, if you have time during the summer and want to be part of this research project, please call Sal at 302-227-5620.